


The virtues of diplomacy

by Resurgam2



Category: AUSTEN Jane - Works, Pride and Prejudice (1995), Pride and Prejudice (2005), Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Genre: A bit of drama, A bit of humour, F/M, Ladies' war for the affections of the certain gentleman, Post-Canon, Regency Era, Regency Romance, Totally unserious, lots of book characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:28:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24374287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Resurgam2/pseuds/Resurgam2
Summary: Darcy is awesome, but the author has a better sense of humour.Everyone gathered at Darcy’s house for Christmas: the Bennets, the Bingleys and even the Hursts. Everyone has their own hidden agenda, when the sudden appearance of a new guest makes unexpected adjustments to these plans.Who will win in the end?
Relationships: Catherine Bennet/Colonel Fitzwilliam/Caroline Bingley, Elizabeth Bennet/Fitzwilliam Darcy, Jane Bennet/Charles Bingley, Lydia Bennet/George Wickham
Comments: 40
Kudos: 74





	1. The dinner

Mr. Darcy never liked Christmas.

For he had never been particularly fond of this holiday before. 

An impatient joy and eager expectations of presents were always nothing but quite strange to him. And when he became the master of Pemberley, he was forced to exchange the most cordial wishes with dozens of people he had hardly ever known.

In the past few years the celebration became particularly unpleasant for him, since his wife's relatives had made it a habit to come to Pemberley on the eve. Certainly, ten and a half months of blissful happiness more than redeemed six weeks of even the most severe torment. And the torment, he must admit, was not so severe. In some sense, the Bennets’ company was quite pleasant and even enjoyable. Therefore, for the sake of his beloved wife, whom he adored so much, Darcy was going to pull himself together for the third year in a row.

Elizabeth, standing beside him now, had more conflicted feelings towards the Bennets’ arrival. She genuinely missed her family and rarely visited Longbourn after her marriage. The appearance of her relatives was therefore a special joy to her, but she could not fail to understand all the gravity of their presence at Pemberley both to her dearest husband and to the other guests as well. And so she prepared herself in advance for all the scenes which were yet to come and which she was yet to survive. After all, the Bennets, apparently, were expected from minute to minute.

Darcy's servants were supposed to meet them in Lampton and accompany all guests directly to the estate. The most agile ones of the escort had arrived at Pemberley no more than an hour ago and informed the master that the Bennets were about to actually leave Lampton. So, Elizabeth and Darcy spent in the open air no longer than a couple of minutes when the first dark dots and the flickering lights appeared on the horizon, just at the edge of the lake.

Elizabeth watched with some excitement as these dots approached Pemberley, becoming more and more distinct with each second. She could already distinguish Darcy's carriage, drawn by four horses, the Bennets were to take it in Lampton. Her heart was suddenly filled with an incomprehensible longing and gloomy apprehension. If she had known in advance what amazing events were about to happen at Pemberley, she might have wished to turn this carriage around. Now she simply had to hope for the best.

Under the rustle of gravel and the rattle of the wheels, the carriage, illuminated by the torches of accompanying servants, finally pulled up to Pemberley. However, Mr. and Mrs. Darcy did not move when it stopped. Two footmen dressed in magnificent liveries appeared out of nowhere. They hurriedly set up a folding ladder and opened the carriage door, doing all their manipulations very deftly.

Mr. Bennet was the first one to appear. He glanced quickly around the darkened house, saw Elizabeth and Darcy in the flickering torchlight and first shook hands with his son-in-law, and only then kissed his own daughter.

"Hold on, Lizzie," he managed to whisper in Elizabeth's ear, causing her a genuine feeling of utter concern.

Mr. Bennet was followed by his portly wife. For a moment, Mrs. Bennet was gazing at the house, totally consumed by reverential fear. She clearly forgot about everything and everyone else. Although she visited the estate before, she had always been so astonished and delighted that it seemed now as if her jaw were about to drop. When she finally managed to recover, she hurried over to Mr. and Mrs. Darcy with all her usual effusive greetings. Her son-in-law was as gallant as ever and even kissed her hand in return, which made Mrs. Bennet blush a little. She was still timid in front of him, and so she said nothing except for a few polite phrases. Elizabeth was not so fortunate. She got not only her mother's kisses, but also her innumerable exclamations:

"Oh, Lizzie! My dear! I forgot that the estate was so tremendous!" that was what Mrs. Bennet used to say every time she was at Pemberley. "I thought that we were completely lost while riding through the park. And we rode for so long! I spoke the truth to Lady Lucas: their grounds can be placed here five times, no less."

It was unlikely that Lucas family was flattered by such a comparison. Mrs. Bennet went on and on in this way. Elizabeth instinctively listened to her mother and watched her sisters step out of the carriage one by one, assisted by the ever gallant Mr. Darcy. Mary hadn't changed at all. She was still very thin and least attractive of all the Bennet girls. Kitty could not have changed, as Elizabeth saw her now quite frequently. Lydia was the last one to come out of the carriage. Lydia! Elizabeth could not restrain a gesture of surprise. What was her youngest sister doing here?

If Mary was slightly embarrassed at the sight of Mr. Darcy and Kitty was more confident with him, as she had been a long guest at Pemberley, Lydia was acting like nothing in the world could possibly disturb her. She curtsied gracefully (in her opinion, it was graceful, indeed. Despite the fact that Lydia was due to turn nineteen in June, her figure was already slightly blurred) and held out her hand to Darcy for a kiss. It was obvious from the latter's face that he was more likely to shove Lydia back into the carriage and ride the horses back to where they had brought her from. Darcy, however, gave no sign of surprise and responded to the gesture with as much politeness and courtesy as he had previously shown to Mrs. Bennet. Visibly pleased, Lydia glanced at her more timid sisters with a certain superiority and invitingly laughed. Now it was Mrs. Darcy's turn:

"Oh, Lizzie! We haven't seen each other in years!" Lydia sang coyly, hugging her sister and kissing her on both cheeks. Elizabeth actually remembered that Lydia had only visited her once since her marriage. "I hope you have given me the best rooms."

She walked brusquely inside the house, calling out her sisters and not even thinking to wait for anybody else.

"I would like to inquire, Mr. Darcy, whether your library has any new acquisitions." Mr. Bennet changed the subject quite hastily.

"Yes, of course. All the uncut volumes were put on the table. I have already made arrangements, " Mr. Darcy replied politely. Being the perfect host, he could anticipate the slightest wishes of his guests.

"Perfectly. Quite perfectly," Mr. Bennet muttered to himself, as he was amused in an instant.

"Mama! You brought Lydia with you," Elizabeth said, half-asking, half-assenting.

"Well, dear, I do not think it is a problem!" Mrs. Bennet cried at once. "We are a family after all! And we should be together at this time, even if we did not notify you in advance." However, she slightly lowered his voice while uttering the following words: "The poor thing came to us all alone. She had no one to spend the holidays with."

Mr. and Mrs. Darcy exchanged knowing glances.

"I will have Lydia's room prepared," Elizabeth replied simply.

The next two hours were spent in Mrs. Bennet's never-ending admirations for the internal decoration of the house, as well as for the rooms assigned to them. Elizabeth tried to make her family comfortable in the guest wing of Pemberley. She paid no less attention to the location of all front rooms and the daily routine. However, all her attempts to remind her parents of the interior of the house were drowned out by her mother's vociferous exclamations. 

The Bennets spent the rest of their time in the nursery, visiting their beloved grandchildren. The eldest Anne had only recently learned to walk, and it was the first time for the grandparents to see the new-born Edward. As the baby was just several months old. Jane's children, Frederick and William, were also present.

When the family had finally dressed for dinner, the Bennets, led by Kitty, went to the drawing-room, where other guests were already waiting for them. Both the Bingleys and the Hursts came to Pemberley for Christmas. Darcy's younger sister, Georgiana, also attended this event.

In spite of the double blow that had been inflicted on both of Charles’s sisters by his own marriage to the eldest Miss Bennet and Darcy's marriage to Miss Eliza Bennet, Caroline and the Hursts continued to come to Pemberley and maintained close relations with both Mr. Darcy and his sister Georgiana. Elizabeth was somewhat surprised at this and had no choice but to conclude, that Miss Bingley's affections for her husband were not as deep as they appeared at first sight. Caroline was now very gracious to Elizabeth and tried to fully compensate to both sisters for all her former coldness and discourtesy. What happened behind closed doors, one could only guess.

And if Charles’s sisters no longer showed their true feelings in the presence of Mr. Darcy or Mr. Bingley, they were not forbidden to laugh at the whole family when they were alone with each other. Miss Bingley's arrival at Pemberley, therefore, was partly due to her own and her sister’s desire of a more comfortable home for the winter, and partly due to their inclination for the latest gossip.

The first opportunity presented itself as soon as the Bennet girls literally burst into the drawing-room, surrounding their elder sister Jane, who was unwell that day, and thus allowing Mrs. Bennet to pounce upon her with all the indecent remarks about her daughter being evidently with child. And due to the surfeit of Mrs. Bennet’s indignant exclamations Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley looked at each other with quite a satisfaction (as it was not proper to speak openly of the one’s pregnancy). Elizabeth took a moment to clear up the situation with her younger sister.

"I hope everything is well between Lydia and Mr. Wickham," she turned cautiously to her father.

Lydia hardly sent any letters both to Elizabeth and to her other sisters. Never would be a proper word, one might say, if not to take into account all her tearful exclamations when she was asking for the help with her husband’s debts, which were always settled either by Jane or Elizabeth at their own expense.

"I have not idea," Mr. Bennet shrugged his shoulders. "You would better ask your mother. I try to stay out of this if I can. Come on, Lizzie!" he quickly added, catching his daughter's reproachful look. "I rode with these silly girls all the way to Pemberley. What a torment it was!"

Elizabeth decided not to argue with him, and while her guests were enjoying the light refreshments and wine, as well as polite conversation and mocking glances, she returned to the front dining room at once. As she had to face a difficult task of arranging the seating preference for all guests, especially since Lydia’s arrival. However, her husband absolutely refused to help her with this problem.

"It would not be possible, Mrs. Darcy," he said politely, but with a touch of irony in his voice. "All this agony falls solely on your shoulders."

As she watched the servants finish setting the table, Elizabeth wondered how she should accommodate her guests so that they would not kill each other in the few hours they would have to spend together. In the end, she decided to place the gentlemen, led by Darcy, at one end of the table. And Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley would be seating between them. All the other young ladies, along with her mother, should be left near Elizabeth, that is at the other end of the table. Georgiana, Kitty and Jane, as the most neutral guests, were to occupy the borders — that is the middle.

Elizabeth was quite pleased with the seating arrangement, even though there was a hell of a dozen of them at the table. And she was not disappointed by the subsequent results. Since the gentlemen did not manage to talk about the war all evening. Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley had diluted their close company. Charles's sisters were finally able to distract themselves from the scrutiny of other young ladies, as they were in the center of male attention and they were very flattered by that. At the same time, they were sitting far enough away from Elizabeth's younger sisters that they could not hear everything that they said. And that, too, was just as well and handy.

Lydia almost never stopped, telling one vulgar story after another and presuming that everybody around her was interested in her husband's latest regiment and her recent life abroad. When she paused to draw her breath for a new wave of recollections, Mrs. Bennet interrupted her with all the numerous stories either of neighbours or of other relatives. But the first real alarm bell was Lydia's quite loud regret that her husband could not attend the dinner.

"Wickham wished to come to Pemberley. He was born and raised here, if you recall it. However, he has always been refused this visit," she said with a certain resentment.

The words were heard at the other end of the table, though Darcy gave no sign of it.

"I quite agree with you, my dear," Mrs. Bennet said in return."How hard is it to invite a young man, a brilliant officer, and even more my son-in-law, due to some kind of falling out a hundred years ago?"

"Mr. Bingley, however, is always delighted when we visit his estate," Lydia did not fail to mention that.

Bingley's face was clear enough that this was not certainly the case. However, he hastily assured her otherwise:

"You are always welcome at my house, Mrs. Wickham."

Mr. Bennet coughed irritably. However, no one at the table supported the subject furthermore, and it was soon completely forgotten. Elizabeth was even beginning to think that this would be the only unpleasant incident of the evening, when at the next course Lydia suddenly turned to Georgiana:

"How are you doing, Miss Darcy?" she asked, as if they had known each other for a long time. Although Lydia had only seen her on a several occasions.

"I am quite well, thank you," Georgiana said politely.

It was almost the first thing she said for the whole evening. The Bennets' arrival had always made the most lasting impression on her. So Georgiana was usually too stunned by all the activity and noise they made to participate in the conversation in any way. Now, however, she found the strength to inquire about the state of Miss Lydia's affairs, as mere politeness required, but was interrupted quite brusquely:

"What has happened to you since we last met? Are you already engaged to someone?"

Georgiana blushed to the roots of her hair. The conversation at the other end of the table seemed to subside at once. 

Miss Darcy spent part of last summer in London with her guardian and cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam. It was rumoured that the Colonel's older brother, who had the title of Viscount, had anticipated Georgiana's musical talents to that point of becoming deeply infatuated with her. It remained unknown whether this feeling prevailed upon and whether the Viscount had asked Mr. Darcy for Georgiana's hand.

"I am not engaged to anyone," Georgiana said in a trembling voice. And so quietly that Louisa Hurst had to lean forward to hear what she was saying.

"You must come and stay with me in Bath," said Lydia with some complacency in her voice. "There are officers there whom you cannot find anywhere else. We must certainly find you a proper husband."

Georgiana could only thank Lydia for her concern.

Darcy almost gritted his teeth now.

Louisa Hurst and Caroline Bingley could not hide their sarcastic smiles. Elizabeth preferred to ignore them and looked at her plate.

"You would better take care of your own sisters!" Mrs. Bennet grumbled at once. "Three daughters are married, but there are still two left. And I am not aware of what to do with them now."

Louisa Hurst put her hand over her mouth, seriously afraid of laughing outright.

"Let all unmarried girls at this table visit me in Bath," Lydia said quite impatiently. "I will find an officer for each of them."

She was totally oblivious to the looks of the sober-minded side of the table, and in her good-nature she believed that she was certainly doing these young ladies a favour.

"No one is going anywhere," Mr. Bennet snapped.

It was unknown what hurt Elizabeth more at that moment. The cold indifference of her father, the quarrelsome temper of her mother or the stupefying tactlessness of her younger sister. She could only find relief in the fact that Kitty and Mary were completely deaf to Lydia's proposal. One had been under the influence of her older sisters for too long and was not at all eager to go to Bath; the other refrained from philosophical instruction.

Elizabeth was afraid to look at her husband, sensing all his feelings from a distance. However, the sudden arrival of a new guest saved her from being the object of ridicule for Charles's sisters that evening.

A footman suddenly entered the room and solemnly announced Colonel Fitzwilliam. The Colonel himself quickly followed. He was not expected at all. Mr. and Mrs. Darcy looked at each other in much surprise and rose hastily from the table.

Colonel Fitzwilliam was in his thirty-second year. He was not remarkably handsome, but he had a rather pleasant appearance, engaging manners and was a gentleman in every sense of the word, that is, both in character and conduct.

He was somewhat embarrassed to find such a large group of guests at the table, but quickly recovered himself and bowed politely and courteously to all present.

"Fitzwilliam, is that you?" Darcy cried, astonished by the appearance of his cousin. He exchanged a firm handshake with the Colonel, indicating a certain friendly affection for him.

"Please, excuse my sudden appearance, Darcy. I thought I would spend all celebrations in the regiment" the Colonel hastily explained to him. "However, I was unexpectedly discharged. And as it was a long way to both Rosings and my brother’s house, I decided to come to Pemberley. I am afraid, it was quite a spontaneous decision. I did not even have time to send you a letter in advance."

"We are always delighted to see you, Colonel," Elizabeth courteously addressed him.

Fitzwilliam smiled as he exchanged a cordial handshake with Mrs. Darcy and cast a somewhat embarrassed glance at the guests who were paying him their closest attention. The reason due to which he felt particularly uncomfortable was that, unfortunately, he had been caught in a heavy rain not far from the estate and was now drenched to the last thread.

However, the ladies thought that the Colonel was certainly a charming man. Much like the Byronic hero, he had so suddenly appeared on Pemberley's doorstep. And they were all so pleasantly astonished by his appearance. Such a mysterious and charismatic gentleman! And it must be admitted that not everyone at the table was personally acquainted with the Colonel. Moreover, the military uniform suited him very well. Fitzwilliam's wet curls glistened enticingly in the light of the chandeliers, and for that he could be forgiven even for dripping mercilessly on the carpet.

However, the gentlemen were of a slightly different opinion than the ladies. They were quite sympathetic with the Colonel, for they knew firsthand what it was like to ride fast in the rainstorm. They could also assume that with the closer contact he might now definitely smell a little like a wet horse.

For this or for some other reason, Fitzwilliam hurried away, making a few more courteous bows and repeating all his courteous apologies. He returned to the guests after dinner, having had time to take a bath, wash off all unnecessary smells and even to freshen up. Here one could admire his military habits of gathering himself as quickly as could only be possible. In an attempt to make amends for his first unseemly appearance in front of the ladies, he even dressed in the most elegant tailcoat and definitely decided to please everyone that evening.

After dinner, the gentlemen were finally able to lay out the card table and enjoy the fine wine from Pemberley's cellar. Mr. Hurst was only distressed that the other men had not been able to concentrate all their attention on the cards and had continued to be distracted from time to time by talking earnestly about the war. The Colonel, however, had more than a direct connection with the subject and had more opportunity to talk and think about it both in the regiment and in the drawing-rooms than he was really inclined to. So as soon as he was introduced to all the ladies, he remained in their circle and entertained them all evening.

Elizabeth recalled that Fitzwilliam was an excellent conversationalist and a very charming man on closer acquaintance. And the Colonel certainly intended to charm all woman tonight. He kept up the conversation so vividly, never letting it fade, had so many interesting stories and anecdotes in store, and even managed to find a key to the heart of every lady in the room.

He had the most interesting talk with Georgiana about her recent drawings and music, with Kitty — about the latest book she had read. He politely asked Lydia about her life abroad and even recalled several of his friends in her husband's latest regiment. He spoke exclusively of his brother to Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst, as his brother was the eldest son of the Earl, and recalled his recent visit to high society. Charles's sisters enjoyed sharing with him the latest news and even going over their mutual acquaintances.

Fitzwilliam was gallant enough to even listen patiently to Mrs. Bennet, however little he cared for her friends and acquaintances in Maryton. He had a serious talk with Mary about her knowledge of geography and suddenly showed an unusual aptitude for this science (or so it seemed to Mary). Elizabeth sat with Jane a little apart from everybody else and abstaining from the conversation. Mrs. Bingley was quite unwell today. And to be honest, she was looking forward to the end of the evening and was relieved when they all finally decided to leave the drawing-room.

Colonel Fitzwilliam was indeed in high spirits. He left the guests with the assurance that he had won all sympathies of the ladies. He went up to his rooms, whistling quite joyfully and wishing only for some sleep after a very tiring day. Little he knew that he was the subject of incessant thought that evening.

Lydia definitely considered the Colonel to be quite an agreeable man. He was, of course, inferior in his appearance and polish to her dear Wickham, but in all other respects he seemed to be as charming as possbile. And so, yawning sweetly, she decided that he was quite suitable for her attention, especially since there were no other significant candidates at Pemberley.

Kitty was a little more romantic. She had met Fitzwilliam many times before while visiting her sister at Pemberley, but today she suddenly saw him in a completely different light. Although the influence of her older sisters had not been lost on her, it was somewhat softened by Kitty's propensity to read romantic novels and by the impressionable and dreamy character of her own nature. Mr. Darcy would be a little distressed if he knew about this. Since it was he who encouraged Elizabeth’s sister to read more and spend some quality time in the library. However, the books she chose were not always the most serious ones, but it allowed her to daydream for a long time. Kitty had recently turned twenty years old, and, alas, she had absolutely no one to fall in love yet.

Miss Bingley thought that the Colonel had perfect manners. She said so to her sister as she prepared for bed and combed her hair in front of the mirror. Louisa did not fail to praise the Colonel even more. She had behaved this way toward every man who might have attracted Caroline’s attention recently. As Mrs. Hurst realised with some anxiety, that her sister was gradually approaching the threshold beyond which she could be considered as an old maid and there were no serious candidates for her hand yet.

"He is younger son," Miss Bingley sighed, who was a little unsure whether she should really like the Colonel or not. "And he is probably not wealthy enough."

"He is the youngest son of the Earl," Louisa said quite reproachfully, not thinking that they should waste their time. "That should definitely mean something."

"Especially since I have a fortune of my own," Caroline replied thoughtfully.

It was decided to think through the prospects of the younger son of the Earl. And also look at him quite closely.

Mrs. Bennet was in a highly agitated state. And she already imagined Fitzwilliam to marry one of her daughters — either Kitty or Mary. And she was truly sorry now that her favourite Lydia had already chosen Mr. Wickham.

"If I could marry another daughter to the Colonel, I would have nothing else to wish for," she said quite dreamily. And she seriously decided to make her daughters become more acquainted with Mr. Darcy's cousin.

"You always have something to wish for, my dear," said Mr. Bennet with a grin.

He was open to all offers of marriage in relation to his daughters between two and four in the afternoon, when he was not spending his time in the library. He knew that it was absolutely useless for him to argue with his wife.

As for the Colonel, at this moment he was already deep in his sleep and completely unaware that the hunt for his heart was now officially opened.


	2. The ball

The next day began with all unmarried ladies at Pemberley dressing up for breakfast.

As mistress of the house, Elizabeth was supposed to be the first one to come down from her bedroom, but as soon as she walked into the small dining-room, she saw almost all the guests except for the Bingleys. Lydia already had a heated debate with the Colonel. Her booming voice echoed off the walls of Pemberley.

Mrs. Wickham had spent the last year abroad. She lived in Belgium at first, and then, after the battle of Waterloo, she moved to France for a while. Moreover, the ladies in France had made such a lasting impression on her, that she hastened to share it with anyone who was inclined to listen. Colonel Fitzwilliam, who had frequently travelled to Europe on duty, laughed indulgently at her artless stories, but he was still inclined to listen to her quite carefully. Kitty studied the contents of her plate with intense interest. If she dared to look at Fitzwilliam, it was only in passing, and almost each time she did so, she blushed right up to her ears. Charles's sisters maintained a proud silence. Evidently Elizabeth’s youngest sister was beginning to bore them already.

With the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, Lydia's attention was suddenly turned to both of them.

"Mr. Darcy," she addressed the master of Pemberley in her most amiable manner. Darcy had already sensed the trick. "Colonel Fitzwilliam and I have definitely decided that we need a ball at Pemberley."

A ball? Elizabeth barely held back a heavy sigh. No wonder Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley had such sour faces. Wherever Lydia Wickham spent her time, there was always a mere talk of ball or even some sort of dancing.

"Is that so?" Mr. Darcy asked politely, although he was inclined to ignore the proposal altogether, but good manners did not allow it now.

He tried to change the subject. Moreover, he did so very elegantly. However, Colonel Fitzwilliam suddenly decided to support Mrs. Wickham:

"Indeed, Darcy! I cannot even recall the last time there was a ball at Pemberley!"

Darcy gave him a sudden look that expressed nothing more than the famous phrase «Even you, Brutus?"

"That would be great!" Lydia cried eagerly, seeking for Elizabeth's support. But she did not find one.

"Balls at Pemberley are only held on special occasions," Caroline Bingley could not endure Lydia anymore. "Not the other way round."

This remark was made in a more sharp tone that was certainly proper. Lydia let that one pass, for she was often oblivious to a lot of things. But the others noticed, and Darcy was forced to add evasively:

"We will see what we can do."

After breakfast, the whole party decided to go for a walk. Although it was still late in the morning, the guests were inclined to explore the vast grounds of Pemberley Park.

Without giving her opponents a chance, Lydia almost immediately clung to Colonel Fitzwilliam's arm. Miss Bingley was quite exasperated at this tactical manoeuvre, she hastily joined her sister. The Colonel, however, offered Kitty his other hand, which was still free, and she accepted it, trying desperately not to blush too much.

Elizabeth watched them all from the balcony. Despite the fact that they were getting further and further away from her by every minute, she could still see Fitzwilliam walking ahead of others and escorting two ladies at once. Behind him Mr. and Mrs. Bingley were having a conversation with Mary and Georgiana. The Hursts and Miss Bingley brought up the rear. The latter cast quite fiery glances at Lydia's back, but Mrs. Wickham was completely oblivious to that and continued to chat incessantly with the Colonel. Fitzwilliam’s attention was now entirely fixed on her. Kitty was silent, with her head down she looked at the pebbles under her feet.

Elizabeth leaned a little bit forward, hands on the balcony railing, soaking up the chill of the frosty morning. She took no pleasure in receiving the Hursts or Miss Bingley. She was well aware of the conversations behind her back. She knew that they both were sorry for Pemberley to have such a mistress and such careless management. She also could not help noticing that Charles’s sisters were watching her behaviour quite closely, looking for the opportunity to criticise her afterwards. 

Another woman might have been embarrassed by this or might even have felt uncomfortable in their company. However, Mrs. Darcy was nonchalant, as she was fully aware of how many opponents her marriage really had, which, however, did not prevent it from being the happiest. Elizabeth even reasoned that, if she did not like someone, then she was also absolutely infuriated by almost every gesture of this person. She was well aware, that she had bound herself to Louisa Hurst and Caroline Bingley at the very moment when her sister married their brother and when she married Mr. Darcy.

Her husband soon finished giving orders to the servants and returned to the balcony in order to distract her from the contemplation of the guests.

"At times like this, you probably wish you had not married me," Elizabeth said with a rueful smile, alluding to this morning's incident, and, indeed, to all of yesterday's events.

Darcy knew that she was only joking. However, he hastened to reassure his wife:

"If there is one thing I regret," he told her, half in jest, half in earnest, "it is that I did not marry you the year before. When I only saw you at Netherfield. That would give me a whole year to get used to Christmas with your family."

"I am not aware of what should be done," Elizabeth could only sigh. "Lydia will never leave me alone."

"Well, maybe it is a good proposal in the end. How else are we going to entertain so many young ladies with such a small number of gentlemen?"

"I have never managed a ball before," Elizabeth said thoughtfully. "We have never organised anything like this since we moved to Pemberley."

"Oh, no, Mrs. Darcy!" her husband laughed, instantly sensing the direction of the wind. "I will settle the money and you can handle the rest."

"Do you wish for me to surrender to all the guests and neighbours?"

"Let us hope that Lady Catherine will not honour us with a visit. As Mr. Collins has already done so. Without her, I bet that you can handle it."

Darcy's last remark concerned the sudden arrival of the Bennets' cousin at Pemberley. Mr. Collins appeared in Derbyshire quite unexpectedly this morning, and he was eager to pay them a visit. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet also wished to be present in the room.

To do Mr. Collins justice, he recently had to go through some very dramatic events. Less than six months after the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, Charlotte Collins, nee Lucas, died so suddenly in childbirth, leaving behind a perfectly healthy baby. This child had been a source of comfort to Mr. Collins until now. He never spoke directly of his late wife, allowing himself only to refer to her from time to time and not without a certain amount of the solemnity, which was so common for his speeches. However, his daughter was named after her late mother.

For Elizabeth, the loss of one of her closest friends was a severe shock, from which she suffered tremendously and which also happened only a short while after the newlyweds returned from their honeymoon. Mrs. Darcy was just beginning to settle down at Pemberley, when she heard about the sad news. Although Charlotte had become estranged from her after her marriage to Mr. Collins, they still kept up a lively correspondence. When Elizabeth was nostalgic, she thought fondly of the years spent at Longbourn in the company of her sister Jane and Charlotte Lucas.

Therefore, in memory of his wife, Mr. Collins was received at Pemberley not without attention and even certain affection.

"Mr. Collins!" Mrs. Bennet cried as soon as she saw him. "What a pleasant surprise! When did you arrive in Derbyshire?"

"Only this morning," he replied. "I had a pleasure of dining with Lady Catherine de Bourgh on Christmas, and then I departed to Lampton at once."

Mr. Bennet expressed her genuine surprise.

"Then you must be very tired, for you have been on the road all night," he said with a sarcastic grin. "I am certain your patroness's company was well worth it."

Mr. Collins, however, missed this hint.

"Lady Catherine has asked me to convey her congratulations to you in person," he said to Mr. and Mrs. Darcy. "She hopes that you will enjoy these holidays as much as she does."

The couple looked at each other in confusion. All communication between Rosings and Pemberley has only recently been restored. Darcy was quite offended by the letter, which Lady Catherine had sent to him on the occasion of his marriage. As it was so full of insults and unambiguous remarks addressed to his wife. Last summer Lady Catherine had finally condescended to visit Pemberley again, but her treatment of Mr. and Mrs Darcy was still not beyond the bounds of cold politeness. It was all the more surprising that Lady Catherine did not manage to ease herself from all congratulations this year, and she had actually decided to send Mr. Collins to Pemberley.

Foreboding some important events at Rosings, Elizabeth kept asking her cousin about all her acquaintances, as well as the latest news from Kent. However, he remained absolutely unshaken. Everything was still the same at Rosings, he said. Mr. Collins went further on to admire the beauty of Derbyshire, although at this time of year the local attractions looked a little bleak. He was so impressed by the house, the vast grounds of the estate and everything else he managed to see from the carriage on his way from Lampton, that he definitely decided to stay in Derbyshire for some time as well.

"Unfortunately, I cannot fully enjoy the local beauties," Mr. Collins paused solemnly in order to remind the others of his deep grief. "However, I will try not to let my mournful appearance spoil your mood on any occasion."

Mr. Bennet could not restrain another sarcastic grin. Mr. Darcy had far more parishes in his possession than Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Which meant that Mr. Collins had definitely decided to use this opportunity to ingratiate himself with Pemberley’s master. Mr. Bennet could only wish him luck for that.

Elizabeth debated whether she should invite Mr. Collins to stay at Pemberley or not. At this very moment he was describing to Mrs. Bennet all the amenities of his hotel in Lampton. Although many guest rooms were already occupied, there was still enough space left in this tremendous house. So she would have invited her cousin without any hesitation, if it had not been for the fact that Mr. Bennet was the only person who could have been happy about this relocation. And that was only for the opportunity to laugh at his nephew as long as he wanted.

"You must certainly stay here, Mr. Collins," Mrs. Bennet said hastily and lowered her voice to a theatrical whisper. "We are having a ball at Pemberley."

"But Mamá!" Elizabeth could not resist an indignant exclamation. "Nothing has been decided yet!"

"How has it not been decided?" Mrs. Bennet asked in surprise. "Lydia is certain that she already talked you into it. How can it not be resolved?" she turned to Mr. Darcy, but received no direct answer, so she turned again to Mr. Collins. "You must be present. We are inviting you now. Are we not, Lizzie?"

A few sarcastic responses were on the tip of Elizabeth’s tongue. She suppressed them with some difficulty, though. She had only considered the possibility, but now everything seemed to be settled already. Mr. Collins kindly expressed his readiness to attend the event, if it will take place, indeed. And it became clear to Elizabeth, that she would have to arrange everything as quickly as possible while Mr. Collins and the other guests were still in Derbyshire.

Darcy, however, appeared quite nonchalant on this occasion. He could afford to have balls and other entertainments at Pemberley for every week in a year.

The time remaining until the appointed date passed almost imperceptibly for Elizabeth. She was busy with her children and now with all the preparations as well. She still payed het attention to the guests, but she certainly did not have a chance to look at them more closely. So she did not notice all the drama that was unfolding in the background.

All the ladies at Pemberley were quite intrigued whether the Colonel would invite anyone to the first two dances. The Colonel himself seemed to have little idea that he was the subject of an active struggle. He thought even less of the ball itself. However, all unmarried women at Pemberley had certain hopes for the much-desired invitation.

Kitty was in an exceptionally romantic mood, and her heart began to beat faster every time she suddenly bumped into the Colonel on the stairs. Miss Bingley had counted on her good fortune. She got into the habit of sitting at the piano with Fitzwilliam, and even sometimes performed together with him. Caroline had no doubt that during one of these beautiful evenings, she would definitely get the offer she wanted. Mary thought that the Colonel was a very well-educated man, and if she had been lucky enough to talk to him at the ball, even during the dance, she would not have missed the opportunity. Lydia was firmly convinced of her success, and she had certainly gained some power over Fitzwilliam since her arrival.

So each of the ladies was secretly hoping for the Colonel's invitation to another tête-à-tête. However, he never asked the question, until Lydia quite unexpectedly took the lead:

"I hope you will dance the first two dances with me, Colonel," she told him quite bluntly.

Fitzwilliam could not restrain a short laugh. Not for the first time he was surprised at her and even a little admired her boldness. He assured her that he was absolutely free for the first two dances:

"I am all yours, Mrs. Wickham."

While the others were still recovering from this impudence, struck not only by Lydia's directness, but also by her utter self-confidence, that had already happened. The Colonel was inintentionally engaged for the first two dances.

And so, the day of the ball had finally come. The ladies had prepared for this event with special care and waited for it with all the impatience which was only possible. Moreover, they were constantly going through their wardrobe, changing the choice of dress several times a day.

The guests began to arrive in the evening. And it seemed as if half of Derbyshire had pulled up to the estate. Everybody was so astonished that such a celebration was held without any particular reason. Darcy's marriage had certainly done him some good, they thought. 

The servants at Pemberley were also thoroughly prepared. The great ballroom of the house had no need to add to its splendor, and after the gold and mirrors had been polished to a high gloss, it seemed to sparkle in the light of the numerous chandeliers.

Mr. Darcy was now walking among the guests in a somewhat gloomy mood. Little did he know before to what exactly he was condemning himself. He had begun by not liking to share Christmas greetings with a dozen of strangers, but now he had to exchange polite words with almost a hundred of them, if not even more.

The ladies, who were staying at Pemberley, did not share his thoughts, and they were determined to outshine each other this evening. Caroline Bingley was dressed in the latest fashion and in her most expensive silks, and a barber had been specially called from London to do her hair. The diamonds on Miss Bingley's neck now sparkled so invitingly. Mrs. Wickham, who had a very limited allowance, could not boast of any clothes or jewellery and was definitely inferior to the Charles’s sisters in terms of beauty and refinement. However, it was Kitty Bennet who drew all eyes to herself. Georgiana had done her best with helping Kitty to prepare for the ball, as they had become quite close friends over the past years, and Miss Darcy’s fine taste in clothes was still beyond any praise. Kitty’s dress was altogether simple and so elegant, and suited her very well, emphasising all the advantages of her lithe and slender figure. Her long black hair was intricately woven with artificial blue flowers.

Indeed, Miss Katherine Bennet looked very pretty tonight, and she certainly attracted a lot of attention. She danced so easily the first two dances with Mr. Bingley and then with Mr. Darcy. She moved so gracefully that there was not a young man left in the room who did not admire her at that moment. Colonel Fitzwilliam hastened to ask her for the next two dances before the other gentlemen could.

"Miss Catherine," he said, smiling at her. "Will you do me the honour?"

This was the limit of Kitty's dreams. She found it so easy to dance in the company of the Colonel, who, of course, turned out to be an excellent dancer. And as the whispers now said, they made a very fine pair.

Elizabeth still did not notice anything. For the whole evening her eyes were fixed on Mary and Mr. Collins. Because the latter hardly left her sister's side. They even danced together, as much as Mary did not like dancing. And one must say, she danced quite well as if she had prepared herself for that. However, Mary still sat in a corner for a considerable part of the evening, and Mr. Collins was constantly around her, sometimes bringing her ice cream and sometimes begging her to sit out of the draught.

Elizabeth could not look at them without some anxiety and judgment. Her cousin had only recently came out of mourning, and her grief for her dear friend, who had passed away so early, was not yet fully healed. So it was unpleasant for Elizabeth to see Mr. Collins around any woman, especially around her own sister. The thought that he could have recovered so quickly and so easily did not fail to cause her a certain amount of pain.

"How often does Mr. Collins come to Hertfordshire?" Elizabeth asked Mr. Bennet carefully.

"Well, he brings his daughter to the Lucas Lodge every summer," her father said rather impatiently. "He always stays with them for a while."

"Does he come to Longbourn, too?" she asked.

"No, quite rarely," Mr. Bennet replied. "I have had enough of his visits. And your mother cannot bear the thought of Longbourn getting away from her. Perhaps, even to her nearest neighbours, the Lucases."

"Mr. Collins is still young and may get married again," Elizabeth said calmly.

"Probably. That will be his own decision", her father shrugged his shoulders in return.

"Well, I do think, it is too early for Mr. Collins to think about it. The mourning has just come to an end."

"You are looking the wrong way, Lizzie," her father suddenly chuckled. "Something much more interesting is unfolding in front of you."

He pointed to the Colonel Fitzwilliam, who was dancing with Miss Bingley now. He looked a little tired and out of breath.

"Poor Colonel!" Elizabeth cried. "The old injury is still affecting his health."

"Poor indeed," her father said to her quite jokingly. "Since he is being torn apart by the ladies. You see, Miss Bingley, Lydia and Kitty do not leave him all evening. I am afraid the poor Colonel has to dance without stopping. We shall bet on one of them, at least, shall we not, Lizzie? I would give my preference to Lydia, if she was not already married. Anything else is unlikely to stop her in the end."

Elizabeth considered her father's words quite carefully. During a brief moment of Fitzwilliam’s infatuation with her, when she had still been a guest at Rosings, the Colonel confessed his true intentions. He approached the marriage with a clear head and a cold mind, and the woman’s dowry played a decisive role in it. She hastened to express her fears to Mr. Bennet:

"I know for a fact, that if the Colonel ever thinks of marrying, he will be looking for the best match which is only possible for him."

"Well, then Miss Bingley will certainly win," Mr. Bennet said quite calmly. "And I suggest you speak to your sister when you have the opportunity. Your mother is serious about marrying her to the Colonel. And I am afraid she might have fooled her already."

The music began, and Fitzwilliam was dancing with Kitty now. They moved so easily and so gracefully across the floor, they looked so elegantly together, they entertained each other with such a lively conversation during the dance, that Miss Bennet was now almost ecstatic. She looked at the Colonel and understood that he admired her very much, and she wanted to keep spinning and spinning, and spinning.

At this very moment, she was completely oblivious to her father’s and her older sister's quite intense attention.


	3. The consequences

The ball was the starting point for almost all the guests staying at Pemberley for the holidays.

On the one hand, Mr. Collins's attention to Mary had increased dramatically, and now he spent almost all of his free time at the estate, as far as decency permitted. On the other hand, Colonel Fitzwilliam had become the center of attention for all the other unmarried ladies. The Colonel himself, however, was hardly aware of the matrimonial aspirations of either Mrs. Bennet or Miss Bingley. He was just pleased to have a rest from army life in the most fashionable and refined society, and if the company of ladies saved him from boredom during the long winter evenings, it was all the better.

Elizabeth was distressed every time she saw Mr. Collins courting Mary. And as much as he tried to be inconspicuous, all the attention to her sister was all the more obvious to Elizabeth. In the end, she could not endure it anymore and, on Darcy's advice, decided to finally clarify the situation. One morning she asked her sister to leave the house and take a walk in Pemberley Park.

Despite the height of winter, the snow still had not fallen, making everything around look rather gray and dreary, and the cold wind was blowing hard at the back, chilling to the bone and making the hands numb with cold within a couple of minutes after leaving the house. It was obvious, that they would not be out for long in this weather. So Elizabeth gathered her wits and began making an idle conversation:

"How often does Mr. Collins come to Hertfordshire?" she asked her sister archly, as soon as they left the house.

Mary frowned slightly at the mention of their cousin.

"Every summer, I suppose. He usually brings his daughter to the Lucases," Mary told her. "Lady Lucas seems to be very fond of playing with her granddaughter."

She smiled, as if remembering something.

"I have never had a chance to see little Charlotte," Elizabeth said. "I wish Mr. Collins had brought her here. Although I understand, that this would be very unlikely. What is she like now?"

Mary hesitated before answering:

"I think, she looks a lot like her mother."

They both fell silent. Elizabeth felt a sudden pang in her heart that opened an old wound. She decided to take a different approach, so she said:

"To be honest, I was surprised, when our cousin came to Derbyshire to personally convey Lady Catherine's congratulations. The relations between Rosings and Pemberley, unfortunately, leave much to be desired."

"I am certain, you can persuade Mr. Darcy to make amends, if possible," Mary said firmly. "I heard from my mother, that Lady Catherine did not approve of your engagement. Even so, you must both do your best to prevent this feud with Rosings from taking root and sprouting. Papá reconciled with Mr. Collins, and you and Mr. Darcy must reconcile with Lady Catherine. Nothing is more important than family ties."

Elizabeth thought, that Mary might have felt a little differently, if that insulting letter, which was certainly out of the line and which called Mr. Darcy's wife either a calculating schemer or a heartless coquette, had been addressed to her personally. However, she did not speak of it aloud and did not give her sister the opportunity to enter into the lengthy philosophical discourse, that she liked so much.

"I think, Mr. Collins enjoyed the ball," she said, carefully leading the conversation to a more desirable topic. "He obviously had a good time. Although it seems a little incomprehensible, that a man, especially a parson, who has recently been out of mourning, spends so much time on social pleasures."

Her sister's last remark clearly stung Mary to the quick.

"We cannot live forever by everyone’s expectations," she said. "We must sacrifice our feelings and interests in favour of public opinion. Even if we are still unhappy."

"But we cannot always behave the way we want to. The rules of decency and tact are the same for everyone. There is also the memory of his late wife, which should also not be neglected."

"The time of mourning has passed," Mary said peremptorily. "The tribute to society has been paid, and Mr. Collins had as much right to be present at this ball as any of the others."

This outspoken defense of his interest only confirmed Elizabeth’s suspicions.

"Mary, may I speak frankly to you?"

They stopped abruptly. Mary turned to her sister and looked at her directly.

"I assume, you are inclined to talk about Mr. Collins, aren’t you?"

"I cannot help but worry about his attention to you. I am at a loss to guess, how such a close acquaintance was possible at all."

"Mr. Collins often visited Longbourn while he was staying at Lucas Lodge," Mary explained not without a certain complacency in her voice.

"Surprisingly neither papá nor mamá ever mentioned it," Elizabeth said thoughtfully.

Mary only shrugged her shoulders:

"You know, how papá feels about Mr. Collins. He always prefers to sit in the library, if he does not like a guest. As for my mother, she was certainly more gracious to our cousin. However, he had ceased to interest her since his marriage to Miss Lucas. So I had to take on these responsibilities and be hospitable instead."

Elizabeth was appalled at the thought that her parents might have left Mary in the company of Mr. Collins for a long time. It was beyond all decency!

"I was alone at Longbourn," Mary continued to explain to her. "You, Lydia and Jane got married, and Kitty lived with you or Jane most of the time. Besides, no one else ever wanted to pay attention to Mr. Collins. However, I always found him a very interesting person and a brilliant conversationalist. You know, papá is in constant correspondence with him. Of course, as he finds Mr. Collins’ letters to be very amusing. However, he often consults me about what he should write to our cousin, and sometimes I even help him compose the answer."

Elizabeth was only relieved, that it had not yet occurred to Mr. Bennet, that Mary herself should correspond with Mr. Collins for him. At least Mary understood the danger of being compromised in correspondence with a married man. Elizabeth kept forgetting, that Mr. Collins had been a widower for some time.

"I certainly understand now, how our cousin came to be a part of Longbourn again," she said softly. "I want to clarity your last remark. Do I interpret correctly all the attention he is paying to you?"

"I am expecting his proposal," Mary said simply.

Elizabeth turned slightly away from her sister, thinking furiously.

"Do you realise, that if you accept his offer, you will be bound to him for life?" she finally asked. "It is a big decision to make, and you might regret it later."

"I am well aware, that I will not have another offer," Mary said calmly. "I am of the same age now, as you were, when you met Mr. Darcy. But I am not as intelligent as you are, and I am certainly not as pretty as Jane. So this is my only chance to get married."

Elizabeth was astonished at how much Mary reminded her of Charlotte now. Once Miss Lucas also stood in front of her friend and also asked not to judge her, practically an old maid, as she was already seven and twenty. The memory made Elizabeth’s heart ache.

"I hope you will take my advice as an experience I have already had. In my opinion, you need something more than just the possibility of perspective."

"But I certainly like Mr. Collins!" Mary cried. "I am well aware that you do not like him. Or papá, or aunt Philips, or even Kitty and Lydia. But I have genuine feelings for this man!"

"Do you think, it is enough to marry him?"

"Most of our acquaintances get married without even feeling that way about each other. And I respect Mr. Collins and sincerely appreciate his opinion. Our tastes and views are much the same, and I think my feelings for him are completely mutual. You are well aware, in society’s view, it should be only a good match. And in my case, this is the best match possible."

"There are also rules of decency," Elizabeth protested. "Does it not bother you, that he has just been out of mourning and he is looking forward to getting married again? Until recently Mr. Collins had been married, indeed. And he has a little daughter, whom you will need to raise."

"You do not say that due to a sense of propriety," Mary said, smiling. "You never liked Mr. Collins. That is why you rejected his proposal. And I think, you were certainly right. You would be very unhappy with him. But my mind is completely different. I find Mr. Collins's company very agreeable, and I only wish he had noticed me at Longbourn. When we had first met."

"I cannot believe my ears!" Elizabeth shook her head.

"Why are you so against it? Please, consider the possibilities that will be available for us soon. Longbourn will always be our home. Isn’t it just wonderful? Mamá, by the way, is determined to encourage Mr. Collins to have an understanding with me as soon as possible."

"Why am I not surprised?" Mary's older sister asked bitterly.

"By the way, mamá is not exactly eager for this marriage. She is afraid of being left alone if I go to Kent. So she would have preferred an engagement for now."

But Elizabeth was no longer listening to her. Mary paused, watching her closely.

"I know it is hard for you, when we come to Pemberley," she said suddenly.

Elizabeth gave her a startled look, but did not answer.

"You have been acting like this since the beginning of your engagement," Mary said. "Well, even before that, I suppose. When you first met Mr. Darcy. Do you recall it? He did not think much of our family, and you did not even like him at first. Do not be astonished: if I am sitting on the sidelines, it does not mean I cannot see or hear anything. On the contrary, I can see a lot from the corner. And it has not escaped me, that all these trips to Maryton with him, all these visits to our relatives were no less but a torment for you. And when we come here, it is all repeated again. Unfortunately, the way our family and our relatives live is completely inconsistent with the upbringing and habits of Mr. Darcy."

"That is not it, Mary," Elizabeth replied to her hastily. "As I mentioned before, there are rules of decency and tact that cannot be ignored in society."

"I think," said Mary, smiling, "that the rules of decency and tact are not exactly about our family. It should have been accepted a long time ago."

Elizabeth did not dare to continue this conversation, which had so unexpectedly turned out to be not the most pleasant for her. And for a long time afterwards she recalled her sister's words with some degree of anxiety. Indeed Elizabeth was dissatisfied with this walk, but she did not press the matter further, fully aware that all her remonstrances would be in vain. However, her attempt to talk to Kitty was even more unfortunate.

The storm broke about a week after the ball. One afternoon, when the Colonel was too bored to read the book like other guests, and he was tired of playing the piano with Miss Bingley, Darcy suggested to his cousin that they should ride to Lampton. This did not please Caroline Bingley at all, for during the music session the Colonel usually paid his attention to her. This was especially important now, since Fitzwilliam's chances had improved since the ball. Miss Bingley had managed to make some necessary inquiries about Earle’s fortune and estate in Kent, and although the Colonel was the youngest son, his commission was purchased within the most prestigious regiment in the army. Even less did Caroline like, that Lydia was immediately wishing to accompany Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam to Lampton.

"How it is possible, Mrs. Wickham?" the Colonel was quite astonished. "Do you ride well?"

"I was educated in my husband's regiment. While I was abroad. I can ride well enough than any other girl," Lydia replied in a flirtatious manner.

She could not miss any initiative that provided her with new experience. The two gentlemen exchanged quick glances. No matter how little they were inclined to the possibility of riding at the slowest possible speed instead of galloping, they could not directly deny the lady this pleasure.

The matter was settled and excited Lydia immediately went upstairs to change.

"Papá, I want to ride to Lampton, too!" Kitty declared, when the gentlemen had gone to make arrangements for the horses.

"My dear, you do not ride very well," said Mr. Bennet calmly. "So I would advise you not to be as silly as your younger sister and not to put yourself in a bad light in front of gentlemen. You would better start reading your book, it will be much more useful for you."

Louisa Hurst suppressed a chuckle with some difficulty. Miss Bingley's lips twitched in a sarcastic smile.

Kitty could only wipe away the tears of annoyance. Unlike the other ladies, who were inclined to stay in the drawing-room and ignore Lydia’s whim altogether, she wrapped a mantle around her shoulders and went to the front door of the house. From there she could watch Lydia and the Colonel waiting for the other gentlemen and talking to each other, completely oblivious of her. Fitzwilliam lifted Lydia on to her horse. He did it so deftly and so courteously, and then they both rode to the park, followed by Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley, without once looking back. Although she was standing quite close to all of them. Only Mr. Bingley deigned to notice her and waved her good-bye.

This was too much for Kitty's poor nerves. She ran upstairs and began to cry at once. Alarmed, Georgiana followed her.

"Catherine, dear, what is wrong?" Miss Darcy asked anxiously as she entered her friend’s room.

Kitty did not wish to hide her mood and continued to cry inconsolably into her pillow. Georgiana touched her gently on the shoulder, and Kitty looked up, her face flushed with tears.

"Have you ever been in love, but not certain if your feelings are mutual?" Kitty asked her suddenly.

Georgiana hesitated, not knowing what exactly to say.

"Yes, I have felt that way quite recently," she finally admitted, much to her friend's surprise.

Kitty forgot her own grief for a moment. Georgiana, clearly impelled to further frankness, spoke again:

"That was last summer. When I stayed in London. I thought... it seemed to me, that my feelings were mutual. However, I am now quite certain that this was not the case. I am glad I live at Pemberley now."

Kitty looked at her with wide eyes. They had never talked about it before.

"Have you ever saw him again?" she asked cautiously.

"No, and I do not intend to," Georgiana replied firmly. "I told my brother, of course, when I got back. I do not have any secrets from him. And he also expressed his doubts about this possibility, even if our feelings were mutual, indeed. I am much younger than the viscount. And then I am too shy to ever be a socialite."

Miss Darcy looked so sad now, and Kitty suddenly realised, that this was the whole reason, why Georgiana was particularly silent lately. She was inclined to tell her friend that she felt the same way.

However, there was a sudden knock on the door, and a moment later Elizabeth entered the room. She immediately noticed both Kitty's tearful eyes and Georgiana's distressed face. The latter hastily got up from the bed, presuming that the sisters would probably want to talk in private.

"I will call on you later," she said gently to Kitty before tactfully withdrawing.

Elizabeth did not hesitate to take Georgiana's seat.

"My dear," was all she managed to say, and her sister's eyes filled with tears again.

"I am fully aware, that it is not wise," Kitty said through her sobs, quite certain that Elizabeth had already guessed everything. Now her grief was the center of the world.

Elizabeth faced a difficult task to explain to her sister the present state of affairs. Even during the short time when the Colonel had been attracted to Elizabeth at Rosings, he had fully explained to her the nature of his aspirations. Unfortunately, Fitzwilliam was not wealthy, but at the same time he considered himself as a member of high society and enjoyed spending all his free time in London. Marriage was a way for him to feed his established habits. And Kitty's small dowry definitely precluded any matrimonial possibilities. Of course, the Colonel might be so passionately in love, that he decided to reconsider his position and his habits. But it seemed to Elizabeth, that it was not true yet.

Mrs. Darcy was well aware, that she should not conceal her thoughts from her sister. She also sensed, that she was actually performing her mother's duties. But she doubted, that Mrs. Bennet would have discouraged her daughter from having this affection. However, she had only to look at her distraught sister once to lose all resolve. She could not help but realise how much Kitty would be offended by any suggestion about the impossibility of this marriage. So Elizabeth contented herself with saying only the following:

"I am certain, Lydia did not mean to hurt you. We are all well aware now, that she cannot miss any entertainment."

"It is not just that, Lizzie. I thought, I was the one the Colonel favoured. He danced with me almost every dance and even sat next to me during the dinner. And I was certain, that something has changed between us after the ball."

There was a genuine desperation in Kitty's voice. Elizabeth could not help but notice the weakness of her argument.

"It is not wise, until there is an understanding between you both ," she said softly. "There can always be hope for reciprocity. This is true. But confidence is never possible without certainty on the part of a gentleman. And as far as I can see, the Colonel has not had the honour of explaining himself to you yet." 

"No, of course not," Kitty answered hastily.

"Then you should leave it to the Colonel himself. If you feel, that it is too hard for you to be around him now, then you can return with your parents to Longbourn after the holidays." 

Kitty paled even more.

"I was just hoping, it would be like you and Mr. Darcy," she whispered. "Or like Jane and Mr. Bingley." 

Elizabeth flinched at the comparison, but seized on it for one simple reason:

"If you recall what happened to Jane, at one time all her hopes seemed to be shattered. Mr. Bingley had gone to London for a long time. And let this story be a lesson to you in a certain sense." 

Her sister said nothing, and Elizabeth could only wonder what she was really thinking.

A single tear rolled down Kitty's pale cheek.


	4. The duel

Christmas and all the events associated with it were finally over. And the gray dreary weeks of January gradually dragged on, filled with nothing but utter cold. Elizabeth just began to think that the peaceful course of life had been restored to Pemberley, when she was suddenly called to her husband's private cabinet.

Darcy was pacing restlessly up and down the room. As soon as Elizabeth saw him, she realised that he was a bit agitated.

"Read it," he said curtly and pushed the open letter toward her.

Mr. Wickham appeared to be the sender. Elizabeth already guessed, that something was certainly wrong. She began to ravenously devour the few lines.

Mr. Wickham briefly informed Mr. Darcy, that he had received quite sad news from his friends in Lampton. His wife was repeatedly seen in the company of the only gentleman, with whom, according to the gossip, she had danced all night at Pemberley. This gentleman, on whose account his wife had been so imprudently compromised, was none other than Mr. Darcy's cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam. Mr. Wickham definitely expressed his indignation. He was aware, of course, of the wide gap between himself and Pemberley, but he did not think for a minute, that Mr. Darcy would allow himself to sink so low. Had he decided to take revenge on him? Had he not objected to his cousin's intentions? Had he allowed the Colonel to court his wife so openly? Mr. Wickham informed Mr. Darcy, that he had just arrived in Lampton and that he wished to receive all the necessary explanations on the subject. And if he did not consider these explanations sufficient enough, he would be forced to exercise his right and demand satisfaction from the Colonel.

"This must be some kind of joke!" Elizabeth cried and began to read the letter for a second time in a row.

"I assure you, I am as astonished, as you are," Darcy said.

"But when did this happen? Lydia was always visible to us."

Elizabeth's husband frowned even more.

"Your sister is a quite good rider indeed. She managed to get lost from me in Lampton. Just for a moment though, but it was enough for her to disappear in the crowd. And I did not know where to look for her. So Fitzwilliam and I separated at a first intersection. He found her before I did. So yes, I have to admit that they were alone for some time."

"You failed to mention it! I was not even aware that you were in town."

Mr. Darcy chuckled.

"It was your sister's idea. Not mine. And the only reason I did not speak about it was because I did not want you to worry."

"I still do not understand," Elizabeth said. "Is that the reason enough to be compromised indeed?"

"No, it is a perfectly trivial matter. However, I thought, that it is necessary to inform Mrs. Wickham about it. And she burst out laughing as soon as she read the letter."

"How typical of her," Elizabeth muttered.

"Still, I could draw certain conclusions from her reaction. She does not think her husband's suspicions are any more reasonable than we do. I must speak to the Colonel directly, of course. However, I know him as a man of honour, so I have no doubt about his decency. Moreover, the letter clearly mentions only the Lampton incident."

"But could it be just that?"

"I doubt it," Darcy sighed. "You know your sister better than I do. How she can behave in society and how she behaved for a fact. And I am afraid that there were certain signs of attention and flirting on her part. Please, recall now how many people were at Pemberley during the ball. And how many might have seen her in Lampton riding in the company of the Colonel. The evil tongues have certainly settled the matter."

"It is not just Mr. Wickham's friends, it is all our friends and acquaintances from Derbyshire who were at Pemberley that night," Elizabeth added bitterly.

"Exactly! Please, do not consider me impudent, but I think your sister has a habit of acting like this. Especially when she remained in the regiment among the officers. It is hardly possible that her behaviour came as such a surprise to her husband, who had been living very well without her in Bath. He had not written a line to her since Christmas. I think Mr. Wickham wants something from me personally."

"What are we going to do?"

"First, I must talk to the Colonel. He should be notified at all costs. I expect him to be eager for an immediate meeting with Mr. Wickham. And I will agree to that, for I am not inclined to see this gentleman at Pemberley. Then everything will depend upon Mr. Wickham’s own aspirations."

"Do you consider a possibility for a duel?" Elizabeth cried. She was clearly distressed.

"I cannot certainly dismiss it," Darcy replied carefully. "I do not think that anyone's honour is not intact. However, in my time, people have been challenged to a duel for even lesser trifles. I know, that Fitzwilliam is always guided by common sense and he will be inclined to a peaceful resolution. However, he is not a timid man, and if Mr. Wickham insists on such a necessity, yes, I certainly see a chance for it."

Elizabeth put a hand to her mouth in horror. Darcy immediately wished to comfort her, and he hastily sat down in the next chair and said all the words of tenderness and sympathy that he was now capable of. However, when Elizabeth finally left the room, it was all a blur. A sudden attack of headache crept toward her and she was forced to go upstairs to her room for a while.

Elizabeth missed a heated conversation between the Colonel and Mr. Darcy and all the subsequent events. She did not know, how Fitzwilliam reacted to the fact, that this was not the first time Mr. Wickham had caused them trouble. He had not thought very highly of this man before. For he was well aware of his Ramsgate affair with Georgiana. Darcy and the Colonel did not hesitate for a minute, and they decided to go to Lampton quite quickly. Mr. Hurst and Mr. Bingley were inclined to accompany them. And, unbeknownst to the ladies, they took their dueling pistols with them.

Elizabeth spent the rest of the day in the nursery with Jane, taking care of her children and trying to distract herself from the bad thoughts. By the time she came downstairs, everyone at Pemberley was aware of what had happened. Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst hurriedly shut themselves up in Caroline's rooms. Mrs. Bennet went to bed suffering from her poor nerves, as she always was at the moment of decision. The remaining guests had dispersed. Elizabeth was on her way to the library, when she heard an incredible noise from the front drawing-room.

"You are so mean, Lydia!" Kitty cried. "How could you do that? You are the only reason for this! If he is killed, it will be on your conscience!"

"Please stop being so irritating," her sister only winced at Kitty. "You are probably jealous that this is all for me."

"You always wish to be the center of attention!"

"It is not my fault that he favoured me over you."

"That is not true! I danced with him longer than you did."

"Nonsense! I have never seen him talk to you for more than a minute."

"You should be ashamed of yourself! You are married!"

"Be glad, that I already have a husband! Otherwise I would have been engaged to the Colonel!"

"You are unpleasant and impolite!"

"Do not dream of it, it will not happen!"

"Kitty! Lydia!" Elizabeth cried as she entered the room. "Now stop yelling! Do you want all the servants at Pemberley to learn about this? Have you decided to ruin our reputation at last?"

Kitty was instantly subdued and even Lydia did not seem as confident as usual. Taking advantage of the absence of other guests, Elizabeth scolded both of them and then sent her sisters to their rooms. Still, she went to the library being a little distressed and certain that only the lazy man at the estate would not be talking about the duel tomorrow.

Mr. Bennet did not seem affected by this storm. He sat comfortably in a chair by the window and read a book, sipping wine from a tall glass.

"Well-well, Lizzie," he said to his daughter as soon as he saw her. "I knew Lydia would do something again."

Both her father's serene face and his calm tone indicated, that he was prepared to leave Mr. Darcy to deal with all the unpleasant circumstances once more. Already as his rightful son-in-law. But that was not what Elizabeth had come to talk about. She knew that it was absolutely useless to ask Mr. Bennet to reign in his daughters. She had come to talk about Mr. Collins due to the latter's absence from Pemberley. Darcy had refused his visit in the morning, briefly referring to the matter of urgency.

"Papá, do you understand why Mr. Collins is visiting us so often?" Elizabeth asked bluntly.

The excitement finally made her powerful. She decided to talk to her father without delay, since she had already allowed the situation with one sister to take its course.

"Well, I suppose Mr. Darcy has more parishes in his possession than Lady Catherine," her father said not without sarcasm in his voice, as he sipped wine from his glass again.

"Mr. Collins intends to propose to Mary."

"Mary?" Mr. Bennet repeated, closing his book.

"Yes."

"And Mr. Collins?" he took off his glasses. "Lizzie, how could you even think of such a thing?" her father could not help but laugh out loud. "Did Mrs. Bennet get to you too?"

"I am afraid, I do not follow you, papá."

"Oh, your mother cannot not stop talking about Mr. Collins for a minute. In the context of his infatuation with your sister. I find it very unlikely, though."

"Are you certain?"

"Lizzie, this is ridiculous!" Mr. Bennet tried to reason with her. "Mary does not have more sense than Kitty or Lydia, but at least she is trying to look for it. I do not think she has a time for this kind of nonsense. And then Mr. Collins is so deeply sad, so solemnly grieving for his dead wife in public, that I doubt if he is seriously considering the marriage."

Elizabeth was a little taken aback by his last words. She did not think his sarcastic ridicule was appropriate, so she said briefly:

"Our cousin's words are at odds with his actions."

"I have not yet received explicit confirmation of this," Mr. Bennet said quite indifferently.

"I spoke to Mary," Elizabeth confessed. "She is waiting for Mr. Collin’s proposal."

"I guess your mother has already fooled her as well as you. She can expect whatever she wants. Mr. Wickham, for instance, felt that his was offended by his wife’s treatment at Pemberley, and now the poor Colonel is obliged to go to Lampton."

Mr. Bennet clearly enjoyed making fun of everybody else.

"I see I cannot change your mind," Elizabeth finally surrendered.

"I think the reason, why Mary might have been honest with you, is far from what you really think."

Mrs. Darcy spread her hands in a perplexed gesture.

"I am at a loss here. What else could make Mary consider Mr. Collins a suitable match?"

"She might have wanted to let you know that she is not the unluckiest of all Bennet girls. When three sisters are married and Kitty is about to get married to someone as soon as possible, Mary is not probably inclined to seem like an old maid either."

"Well, she does not talk much about such things. And it seems that she never wanted to leave Longbourn."

"Well, she did not while you were there. However, now she is the only girl in the family who lives at home. And she is distracted from her books and music and takes more part in life. Kitty is always going back and forth between you and Jane now. Perhaps, Mary is a bit offended."

"I never thought of it," Elizabeth said hastily, feeling somewhat embarrassed. "Mary has never expressed any desire to stay at Pemberley."

"Well, if she does not express her desires, that does not mean she is not offended. And she might be offended that her older sisters do not take any part in her life," Mr. Bennet smiled slyly.

"Of course, I will ask Mary to stay longer this time."

"It will do her good," her father added simply.

Elizabeth cleared her throat. They had strayed a little from the subject she wanted to talk about.

"And yet, you will not talk to Mary about Mr. Collins, will you?"

"Why should I, Lizzie?"

"Mary needs to think carefully before making such a big decision."

Mr. Bennet sighed.

"Believe me, Lizzie, I am inclined to see Mr. Collins as my new son-in-law even less than you do. My current family is quite enough for me. However, if Mary has a certain liking for this gentleman, I do not see what I can say to dissuade her from it. As for Mr. Collins, it is a good enough match for me to be forced to give my blessing to it."

Elizabeth could clearly see that Mr. Bennet was completely relaxed now, as he considered such marriage to be unlikely to happen. For him, Mr. Collins was still in solemn mourning. And he was not so attached to Mary as to interfere and dissuade her from anything. Realising the futility of her attempts, Elizabeth no longer argued with him. She returned to Pemberley's front drawing-room and resumed her sewing. Only Georgiana kept her company now. The other guests were all in their rooms.

So the time passed gradually that evening, filled with nothing but the howling of the wind outside the house and intense anxiety for the fate of certain gentlemen. Elizabeth was sewing carefully by the light of chandeliers, her eyes fixed on the embroidery, while Georgiana was reading a book. They remained silent, as if unaware of the tension in the room. Only occasionally, when the chiming of the clock by the fireplace reminded them that it was getting late, they looked at each other with some uneasiness.

Elizabeth could not help but consider the hundreds of possibilities. Even to the point where someone might be injured or even killed. It all still seemed improbable to her. How could such a trifle be a reason for a duel? How could idle gossip encourage two young men to try to take each other's life? She was impatient and restless. Georgiana, too, was quite pale and nervous indeed.

Mrs. Darcy had dismissed all the servants immediately after the dinner, and Pemberley was now so strangely quiet, that both women started at the slightest noise. As soon as Elizabeth, who was sitting at the window, saw the carriage approaching, she left the house in her light dress.

The covered carriage stopped not far from the entrance. In the light of the single candle she had brought from the drawing-room, Elizabeth could barely dispel the gloom of the night. She could dimly see the outlines of two figures dismounting from their horses. Two other gentlemen left the carriage, one of them swayed strangely and almost fell to the ground if his companion had not hastily supported him.

Elizabeth gave a small cry. Oh, was it Fitzwilliam? Was he injured? Astonishing! The duel certainly took place…

One of the dismounted gentlemen approached her, and a faint light shone on Mr. Darcy's pale face.

"How is he?" Elizabeth said hastily. "Should I call for a doctor?"

Before Darcy could reply, a husky male voice rang in the darkness behind him. Someone was clearly trying to sing a song, but it was so indistinct that the exact words could not be distinguished. Elizabeth froze, completely stunned. The voice came closer, and a moment later she saw the other gentlemen. However, they were not dragging Colonel Fitzwilliam, they were supporting Mr. Hurst.

"Where are all the guests?" Bingley asked quickly.

Elizabeth did not even know what to say right away.

"Mrs. Darcy?" the Colonel asked a little impatiently.

He looked perfectly healthy. Except that the bulky Mr. Hurst was practically hanging on to him.

"They are upstairs in their rooms. The servants have already been dismissed," Elizabeth said hastily.

"Capital!" Bingley nodded, and he and the Colonel dragged Mr. Hurst on.

Elizabeth could not help noticing that Fitzwilliam was not only perfectly healthy, but seemed to be in the best of spirits. As for Mr. Hurst, he never stopped singing loudly and mournfully. Mr. Hurst was clearly quite drunk.

As soon as his howls had subsided a bit, Elizabeth turned to Darcy, who had been silent until now. He smiled sardonically.

"I thought the Colonel was injured!" she cried.

"I see," Mr. Darcy told her. "Please let us go inside, dear, or you will catch a cold. I will tell you what happened."

They went back to the house. Mr. Hurst was nowhere to be heard or seen. Apparently, the gentlemen did not hesitate and went straight to the guest wing of Pemberley. The couple returned to Mr. Darcy's cabinet, where they had been talking about the unpleasant events before. It was incredible that no more than fourteen hours had passed since then.

"I should have recalled Mr. Wickham's cowardice," Darcy said, pouring himself a small glass of wine. "He expected me to come to him alone, to settle the matter in private. And to give him his due, that was my first plan. Fitzwilliam seemed to be little angry at being in the middle of this mess, so he told Mr. Wickham from the doorway that he had no intention towards your sister, but he is not inclined to make any apologies and if Mr. Wickham still wished for a satisfaction, then so be it, he was ready to go to the barrier right away. Mr. Wickham was completely unprepared for this. And he clearly was not expecting us."

"Then why did he write such a letter?" Elizabeth asked in surprise.

"Because he wanted my help," Darcy added calmly. "He thought I would be coming alone and ask him to settle it quietly. And he had a reason to desire it. Unfortunately, Mr. Wickham has little interest in his wife's honour. But he is very happy in Bath and does not want to go back to the north. So he is looking for opportunities to transfer to a regiment closer to Bath and London."

"Mr. Wickham shows his usual prodigies of talent," Elizabeth said dryly. "To extract his benefits from any situation. What did you say to him?"

"I did not tell him that I could not help," Darcy explained. "That would be quite imprudent. Instead, I suggested for all the gentlemen to take a sip of wine. However, Mr. Hurst was hardly limited to one glass."

"So while we were worried sick, you were entertaining your guests somewhere!" Elizabeth cried indignantly.

"Do you think I could have enjoyed Mr. Wickham's company?" Darcy asked mockingly in return. "I only did it in order to relieve the tension. I did not want the gentlemen to actually grab for their guns. We did not stay long, you can trust me on that. It took us much longer to get Mr. Hurst into the carriage. His phenomenal ability to bring himself to this state in a very short period of time has always astonished me. It is not the first time, however, that I have witnessed it."

"You cannot imagine my state of mind! We were all quite worried about the Colonel!"

"I understand it ," Darcy nodded. "I did get some benefit from this visit, though. And I hope you will not be too distressed, because I insisted on Mr. Wickham taking his wife with him to Bath."

Elizabeth had no clear objections, and the couple did not linger long in the cabinet. They extinguished all candles and hastily went upstairs. To their shared bedroom.

"How is the Colonel?" Elizabeth whispered.

She was so tired after this incredibly difficult day.

"At first, Fitzwilliam was quite distressed and even inclined to give Mr. Wickham a lesson for his conduct. But then I managed to make him delighted little."

"Apparently in the same tavern," Elizabeth said slyly.

"No, it was a very respectable establishment. I spent some time there in my youth."

"And I have no doubt about that."

Darcy could only smile in return.


	5. The outcome

Mrs. Wickham left Pemberley just two days after the attempted duel. She took a hasty leave of her sisters, her father and her tearful mother and went to join her husband in Lampton.

To be honest, Lydia was quite impressed by Wickham’s intention to duel with the Colonel over her. And she hurried with him to Bath on the wings of her renewed feelings. The fact, that two gentlemen were likely to duel with each other and she was the very reason, flattered her excessive self-esteem. She was even a little disappointed that the duel did not take place in the end and that no one was actually injured. She was absolutely indifferent to all other possible consequences, as well as to the conclusions concerning her own reputation.

She was impatient to get back to Bath and tell her friends and acquaintances what a big deal she had caused. Pemberley had promised her nothing new or nothing interesting anymore. Everyone was quite tired of her brusqueness and therefore did not regret her departure. Colonel Fitzwilliam bid farewell to her with great warmth and courtesy, but he could not conceal a certain relief. Elizabeth decided that her sister had changed for the worse after her ambiguous marriage.

And so, Lydia had finally left, escorted only by her distressed mother, and it seemed that life at Pemberley was beginning to restore to better state again. Miss Bingley had surrendered her position. All the events connected with the duel could not but overwhelm her. And Caroline's interest in the Colonel a little bit faded. Fitzwilliam himself was more careful and reserved with the ladies than ever before. He was very cautious now and inclined to keep gossip down. And it took him some time to fully recover from the previous experience. Still, with Lydia's departure, with her absence rather than constant presence at his side, the Colonel's attention naturally turned to the other ladies. Especially to Kitty. The latter's hopes seemed to rise again from the ashes of despair. She was noticeably more cheerful and no longer as gloomy as before. Indeed, everyone was inclined to forget about all events so unfortunately caused by Lydia. Even Miss Bingley and especially Mrs. Hurst, who had not spoken a word to her husband since that night.

One day Elizabeth was forced to observe a very pretty picture. Her sister intended to paint a landscape in Pemberley's small drawing-room, which faced the sunny side of the house. There was so much light there during the day and the view from the window was quite delightful. The Colonel sat resolutely by Kitty’s side for several hours, giving her a piece of advice and slightly correcting her picture. They were both leaning over the easel deep in conversation. And even Georgiana was a little embarrassed, since she usually took a seat next to her friend.

"I might be wrong," Elizabeth said, watching Fitzwilliam and Kitty walk through the park with the other guests. "Perhaps, he has feelings for her."

Darcy doubted it. Although he could not help but admit that the unfortunate incident might have pushed the Colonel in a different direction. Now that Lydia did not claim the lion's share of his cousin's attention, Fitzwilliam spent more time with other ladies. And that might have helped his true preference to finally reveal itself.

Darcy made a serious promise to his wife that he will make the situation rather more clear, as he was planning to go with the gentlemen to the shooting range. They left Pemberley in the morning just after breakfast. To shoot freely in the open air and indulge in all the activities that excluded the company of the ladies. As the time had passed for them quite pleasantly and imperceptibly, the need for this conversation even slipped from Darcy’s mind. Fitzwilliam, however, was keen to talk with him on the way back to the house. The weather was sunny, though quite frosty, and the gentlemen decided to walk by foot.

The Colonel was in a thoughtful mood at first. He spoke to Darcy quite briefly or even answered in monosyllables. Then he suddenly addressed him with the following words:

"I am beginning to understand you better now. Why you and Bingley both married the Bennet girls. They are amazing creatures. Incredible ones! They possess such good qualities that it cannot leave a man entirely indifferent. And they have a certain charm of their own."

The Colonel stopped talking, lost in his own thoughts. Darcy was quite confident that he might not have a better chance afterwards.

"Fate has given me a rare opportunity to choose a wife according to my own beliefs," he said quite carefully. "While admiring all the talents of each Miss Bennet and without in the least detracting from their many virtues, I must still conclude that the dowry for each of the young ladies is very small. So that it cannot make an income for a gentleman."

"You are right, cousin," the Colonel smiled at him. " Under different circumstances this is a serious drawback. You could even say a fatal one. Sometimes a gentleman is forced to seek in marriage not only mutual affection, but also the means to maintain a decent life. This is especially true for younger sons like me."

"I understand your dilemma," Mr. Darcy replied. "Though I have never faced one."

They both were silent for a moment. And Darcy kept thinking that life was quite unfair to the younger sons, as well as to their wives. The Colonel's older brother Edward was destined to inherit the entire fortune and title. The Colonel himself, who was only two years younger, was entitled only to a certain allowance from his father.

Darcy stared at his cousin. It seemed, Fitzwilliam was inclined to tell him something interesting, but he certainly hesitated for a moment.

"Then perhaps," the Colonel said at last, "you will be delighted to know, that everything is almost settled for me. I have reached a definite agreement with Rosings."

"With Rosings," Darcy hastily repeated.

"Yes, I have been negotiating with Lady Catherine all winter, and I finally received a letter from her. She is ready to give her blessing to my marriage with her only daughter… Are you astonished?"

"A little bit, you have never mentioned it before."

"Mr. Collins invited me that to visit Rosings Park. Quite recently, though. I was not certain before."

"So that was it..."

If only the ladies had known!

"Lady Catherine did not waste her time," the Colonel added with a sigh. "After she had lost all hope for you, she finally started on me. However, I let myself be persuaded quite quickly. As you can see, comfort is a priority for a man of my dimensions."

"Miss Anne de Bourgh," Darcy spoke her name for the first time. "Are you certain about this? With all due respect to the lady, are you certain she can bring you happiness?"

"I know exactly what will make me unhappy. I do not think, that I need to tell you about my family. I am accustomed to a certain way of life. Alas, I am a slave to my habits, and I can hardly abandon them. Even for a woman. A sharp contrast with my brother would ruin any hopes of my happiness. I expect a much-needed income from this marriage."

It was quite obvious to Darcy that his cousin's somewhat thoughtful mood had everything to do with the possibility of engagement. And no matter how attractive the virtues of other women were to him, no matter for his own soul could yearn for a certain lady, he was not inclined to consider other prospects as well.

Darcy could only say in return:

"Well, I see you have thought this through. Ans I will be waiting for the moment when I can officially congratulate you. I think you should accept Lady Catherine's invitation immediately and go to Rosings. "

"Well-well, Darcy!" he laughed. "Do you wish for me to leave as soon as possible?"

"You know that is not true. I am always delighted to see you," Darcy’s voice was growing warmer with a second. "However, once you made a decision, you must follow it to the end. You already consider yourself engaged and I recommend you to let it be known by all parties."

It was not difficult for the Colonel to guess his cousin’s real intentions. Darcy was thinking of all the unmarried ladies at Pemberley. How they would behave if they heard this conversation. If they had known, that the Colonel was planning to marry another woman all the way through.

"Miss Anne de Bourgh?" Elizabeth exclaimed when her husband managed to tell her the news.

"I am as astonished as you are. "

"All this time he knew about the possibility of engagement!"

"Yes, I think so."

"Miss de Bourgh, " Elizabeth muttered, trying to find a polite word. "She is a little unwell."

"You mean, that she is an absolutely frail and unattractive creature, don’t you?" Darcy asked bluntly. "Trust me, she will do exactly what her mother tells her to do."

Elizabeth gave him a reproachful look. Darcy only laughed:

"You will be astonished how much charm a pretty estate in Kent and a solid annual income can give to a young lady."

"But she is not charming herself. Does he see it?"

Darcy sighed in return.

"I am trying to understand him, dear Elizabeth. As much as I only can. I am afraid I am too spoiled by my seniority to fully acknowledge his situation. I am not aware of how uncomfortable the younger sons might be. Meanwhile, I do appreciate Fitzwilliam, as he has given me an irreplaceable support by sharing Georgiana’s custody."

"I agree with you, and I think the Colonel is a very respectable man. It will be all the more surprising to see him with Miss de Bourgh."

"Lady Catherine has been trying to arrange a marriage for her daughter since Anne was only born. And I, Edward, and the Colonel were the closest candidates indeed. However, the Viscount was never seriously considered. Edwards’s title imposes certain duties on him. His wife must rub elbows with the cream of high society. And I am afraid my sister Georgiana is not prepared for it either. As for Miss Anne, she is in poor health. And I was a perfect candidate for her until I got married. The Colonel is the only one left now, and, in Lady Catherine’s opinion, it is the prospect for both her daughter and her descendants to be called by the name that she herself bore as a girl. Anne will not leave the family circle as it intended to be. Moreover, this is probably even better prospects for Fitzwilliam. Alas, he is not a wealthy man. And his income, even with the prize money he earned during the war, remains quite modest."

The mention of Mr. Darcy's cousin and Colonel Fitzwilliam's older brother Edward reminded Elizabeth of the possibility of another engagement.

"I assume you did not give your consent to the Viscount."

Darcy did not answer immediately. For a moment, he contemplated the view outside the window.

"I am relieved that Edward wrote me a letter before coming to Pemberley in person. He prepared me for the possibility. An otherwise, I would have said my objections right away. The title of the Viscount and even more so the title of the Earl that he will inherit upon his father’s death, is a huge responsibility. This is the most social life you can imagine. Edward is no less a worthy man than his younger brother, and I believe that he is sincerely in love with Georgiana. But I am not certain that Georgiana is ready for this kind of life."

"Although, if you express your doubts to your sister again, she will refuse the Viscount at once."

"Yes, that is also true."

Sometimes they perfectly understood each other. 

"And yet Georgiana hinted at the reciprocity of these feelings even before you received the letter from the Viscount," Elizabeth added. "If your sister refuses this marriage, she may lose her only chance of happiness "

"That is precisely why I love you," Darcy said with a smile, briefly kissing his wife and hoping to kiss her even more tonight. "You talk about Georgiana’s happiness and not about the prospects that open in front of her."

"How could it be otherwise?" she laughed in response.

Colonel Fitzwilliam left Pemberley shortly after this conversation. And it was not necessary to add how disappointed his departure had been for some of the ladies.

Miss Bingley, however, soon recovered. It was not the first time she had felt such a disappointment, having once laid all her hopes on the altar of Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth understood her delicate position, something that Caroline had refused to do towards her sister Jane, and she did not hint at the possibility of the Colonel's impending engagement to Miss Anne de Bourgh. However, the first news finally came from Rosings. Mr. Collins did not fail to announce publicly that the Colonel intended to marry his cousin. And one could only wonder whether Miss Bingley's pride had been hurt. Her dowry was not as large as Miss de Bourgh's, not to mention that she did not have the luxury of an estate in Kent at her own disposal.

Elizabeth was far more ruthless with Kitty. She did not present the Colonel's plan in all it’s true light, but she did not conceal his matrimonial intentions in the very essence. She managed to cause her sister’s violent and inconsolable grief, and Kitty succumbed to illness and did not leave her room for several days after the Colonel's departure. Her poor heart threatened to break against the harsh reality of life. Fitzwilliam was somewhat distressed at the necessity to say good-bye to her. He did so in the most courteous terms he could manage, but he hastened to Rosings to join his future bride, while Kitty remained at Pemberley to grieve. However, her depression soon gave way to real anger.

Lydia wrote to her sister after hearing the latest news from Mrs. Bennet and invited Kitty to come to Bath in order to forget about the Colonel. Unbeknownst to her older sisters, Kitty had brought up the subject with Mr. Bennet in order to secure his consent to the trip. And as determined as she was to persuade her father, Mr. Bennet, of course, eventually rejected the offer. He learned his lesson when Lydia had run away with Mr. Wickham. 

In return there was an even more violent outburst of feelings and a new inconsolable grief.

"What were you thinking?" Elizabeth wondered. "Are you attracted to Lydia's lifestyle?"

"Better this way!" Kitty cried. "I would rather run off with an officer, with whom I fall in love, than remain a spinster forever or get married to Mr. Collins!"

Mary, who was present at this scene, could not help but be offended. Twenty-year-old Kitty, who seriously thought that all her chances were already lost, burst into a new flood of tears. Her sister was indeed more fortunate. Since Mr. Collins soon proposed to her. And Mary intended to accept him.

"You were right, my dear Lizzie," Mr. Bennet said, when he had a chance to speak to his daughter. "Mr. Collins did not beat around the bush and made his intentions towards your sister quite clear."

"I only hope that she will be happy with him," Elizabeth replied with a heavy sigh.

"Even if she is not, there is nothing you can do," her father took the news quite philosophically, "but I have had some experience of doubting the correctness of my daughters' choices. I remember that your preference once caused me a great deal of distrust. And now every day I spend in Pemberley convinces me otherwise."

Elizabeth smiled at Mr. Bennet's last words.

"I wish for us to be wrong this time as well."

"I am prepared to show Mary the same respect I once showed you. She tried to convince me of her feelings no less fervently. I am definitely for the benefit of the doubt if not proven otherwise. And then I cannot deny my distant relative the obligation to provide for my wife and daughters after my death."

"I am willing to share your opinion," Elizabeth only said.

"Now Mr. Collins will add to the long cohort of my sons-in -law," her father replied with a sarcastic remark. "And I had such a considerable advantage by means of Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley. Your cousin will certainly be on the same scale as my favorite Wickham, and I am afraid the odds are now in their favor. I hope Kitty will be choose wisely. I would not want my fifth son-in-law to push aside your cousin or my favorite."

Elizabeth, however, did not find Mr. Bennet's remark particularly amusing.

"In my opinion, Mr. Collins has recovered too quickly. I would even say that it is somewhat offensive to the memory of his wife."

"Well, in that case, you will be delighted to know that I have irrefutable proof of his sincere attachment to Mary. Lady Catherine did not agree to Mr. Collins's choice. It must have been too much for her to see another Miss Bennet at her side. Mr. Collins disobeyed his patroness and did not take seriously her categorical objections. I understand that he went to Derbyshire to avoid a quarrel with Lady Catherine. And then he finally fell victim to your sister's charms."

"I see that Mr. Collins has not spent his time at Pemberley without profit," Elizabeth said dryly.

She told her father that it was their cousin, who gave Fitzwilliam a letter from Rosings.

"Well-well, I understand, that this engagement was planned before!" Mr. Bennet cried. "The Colonel was promised to another girl all the way! Amazing! And it turns out, that he is not so straightforward as it seemed. While all the ladies at Pemberley had their matrimonial intentions, the Colonel himself was planning to marry another woman," this way of thinking seemed to amuse Elizabeth’s father quite greatly. He hastened to add: "I cannot imagine what Kitty's reaction will be like."

"She already knows," Elizabeth said shortly. " And she is absolutely inconsolable."

Mr. Bennet, however, did not take her seriously. To begin with, he laughed heartily at the combination of circumstances. It was only later, when his stream of sarcastic jokes finally ended, he managed to give Elizabeth a good piece of advice:

"Let Kitty come back to Longbourn. Staying at home would definitely do her good. Perhaps, when she is rested, her wounds would heal quickly. "

Elizabeth could only hope so. And she agreed that Kitty needed to come back to Hertfordshire.

"Well-well," Mr. Bennet said. "I wonder whether Kitty's heart aches the most or whether it is her wounded pride."

Elizabeth did not know for certain. That is why she was not inclined to reply. For the sake of Kitty’s happiness, and in no other way, she could only hope that pride would be the right answer.


	6. The wedding

The wedding of Mr. Collins and Miss Mary Bennet took place on the last days of May. 

By this time all the guests had already left Pemberley. And the rest of the winter and the beginning of spring passed for Mr. and Mrs. Darcy without any significant events. Except that Jane and Charles Bigley welcomed a healthy baby girl. Fortunately, the childbirth was quick and relatively easy. Mrs. Bingley had soon recovered and expressed a strong wish to be present at her sister’s wedding. She desired it especially as it was her first big appearance in society since the beginning of the year. And so, she could not fully contain her anticipation.

Elizabeth, however, experienced more conflicting feelings. Lady Catherine had insisted that the wedding should take place in Kent. And she was even kind enough to invite Elizabeth and her sister to stay with her at Rosings. Elizabeth politely declined the offer, preferring to spend time with her family at the nearby inn. Since Hunsford was not big enough to accommodate them all. She knew that being under the same roof with Lady Catherine for a long time would be too much for her state of mind.

"Do not be sad, my dear," Jane said to her, as they rode in the same carriage to Hunsford. "I know it is hard for you to accept that Mary will be his wife. But I hope that only genuine happiness lies ahead for both of them."

"I wish I could be as generous as you are," Elizabeth replied with a sad smile.

"You know, Lizzie, what matters to me in marriage. It seems, there is no hope for a happy life without any kind of mutual respect. I can see that Mr. Collins and Mary feel that way about each other."

Elizabeth looked out of the carriage window at Mr. Bingley, who was accompanying them on horseback. The weather was fine, and Jane's husband decided to ride alone, allowing both sisters to discuss the news in a complete privacy.

Darcy had parted from them in London. He intended to speak to the Viscount directly after writing him a long letter in reply. Georgiana returned to London in the spring, and Edward immediately visited her, and he was eager to propose despite all the circumstances. After much thought and hesitation, Darcy finally decided to give his consent to the engagement. And now Georgiana got the last word. Elizabeth had no doubt that she would not refuse Edward. The Viscount was in every way a well-established and agreeable man and sought only happiness in this marriage. The fifteen-year age difference, which was so common at this time, could not prevent him from finding it.

As delighted as Elizabeth was for Georgiana, she had another reason why she went to Hunsford with a heavy heart.

The Colonel's intention to marry Miss Anne de Bourgh had come surprisingly to nothing in the end.

The doctors firmly objected to the possibility, on account of the poor health of the patient, and contrary to all Mr. Darcy's expectations, Miss Anne obeyed the doctors with much determination and absolutely refused to marry the Colonel, no matter how much her mother tried to persuade her to do otherwise. Lady Catherine was forced to admit that she was not prepared to risk her daughter's health. And surely, she thought, there would be better options in the future. 

The engagement between Colonel Fitzwilliam and Miss de Bourgh was broken off even before it was officially announced. And one could only wonder how upset Darcy’s cousin could possibly be.

However, for all his outward desire to become the owner of Rosings Park and of a solid annual income, he had soon recovered his spirits. Once the Colonel was released from military service again, he went to London, where he spent his time quite pleasantly, especially in the company of the Hursts and Miss Bingley. Louisa Hurst did not hesitate to urge the Colonel to visit her house as often as only decency permitted. And in the end, her efforts finally paid off. As Fitzwilliam suddenly proposed to Miss Bingley.

"How could she accept him?" Elizabeth said indignantly to her sister. "She knew perfectly well that his first choice was Miss de Bourgh. And yet she humiliated herself to encourage him even further. It was obvious that he had changed his preference only because he could not find a better match. I still cannot believe it. Colonel Fitzwilliam and Miss Bingley! Although we were talking about him and Miss de Bourgh only yesterday. There is definitely no honor in this case!"

However, she absolutely did not intend to blame Darcy’s cousin for he had quickly changed his mind.

"We must understand her situation, Lizzie," Jane added meekly. "Caroline is so inclined to the marriage due to high expectations of society placed on her."

"In other words, she is no longer young and pretty. That is why she is not picky either," Elizabeth said with a lot of sarcasm in her voice.

One could only wonder what had driven the Colonel towards this marriage. Was it his previous failure with Miss de Bourgh? Was it his own hurt pride? Or was it his modest income? Was it his desire to double it at all costs? However, Darcy was not particularly surprised by the news.

"I must admit that the habits, tastes and views of Miss Bingley and Fitzwilliam are very much alike," he told Elizabeth at Pemberley. "They are inclined to high society and they are both quite ambitious. I am certain that the Colonel's father will raise his allowance on the occasion of his marriage. This, together with the prize money and Miss Bingley's dowry, will enable them to have at least three thousand a year. Enough money to live comfortably in London and move around in society to their heart's content."

"If only that could be the basis for happiness," Elizabeth said dryly. "Of course, this is not Rosings with all its prosperity. I presume, however, that Miss Bingley's dowry is large enough for the Colonel to take comfort from it."

Elizabeth was not aware of how her sister would react to the news. She had not seen Kitty since Christmas at Pemberley, for she had always found a reason to avoid returning to Derbyshire.  
Elizabeth, however, resolved to speak to her sister as soon as she, Jane and Mr. Bingley arrived at Hunsford. Especially when it became clear that the Colonel himself was expected at Rosings Park any day soon and would therefore be a guest at the wedding.

In spite of all her fears, Kitty took the news quite well.

"You do not have to worry about me," she told her sister. "Lady Catherine has already expressed her displeasure at this engagement. I already know everything. "

"I am truly very sorry, Kitty," Elizabeth hastened to assure her. "I know my husband has a very high opinion of the Colonel. And that speaks for itself. However, his choice of wife leaves much to be desired. "

"I beg you not to say more," was Kitty’s soft reply. "I wish to believe that he really likes her. Although I am afraid it is impossible to count on anything more. In any case, enough time has passed for me to remember him without any regret or pain."

Elizabeth was so surprised that it seemed to her that during the time they had not seen each other, Kitty had become more mature and responsible than before, and she sounded quite serious now.

"I will be delighted if it does not upset you," Elizabeth decided to be careful with her words. "I could not ask for more."

Kitty looked at her strangely.

"I do not think it would be right," she said, "to grieve so long for a man who was indifferent to me and who is engaged now to another woman."

Elizabeth did not even know what to say next. She decided to watch her sister closely to understand her true feelings.

The opportunity soon presented itself. And to her great delight, Kitty was indeed as serene as she claimed to be. It even seemed that the news of the engagement affected her very little. She was very calm now. Perhaps, her behavior could be attributed to the influence of her friendship with the Lucas girls and their older brother Henry.

The heir of Lucas Lodge had received an excellent education and after traveling for some time abroad had recently returned to Hertfordshire. This was a young man of the most serious and well-established disposition, yet he did not seem to be pompous. Due to extensive reading and a bit of natural talent Henry Lucas was actually an interesting person. Might be not as charming as the Colonel, but he was more handsome and young. Kitty spent a fair amount of time in his company. And Elizabeth decided to share her observations with her father.

"I will tell you even more, Lizzie," Mr. Bennet confessed with a grin. "I would not be much surprised if the only reason Mr. Lucas came to the wedding was because he did not wish to leave your sister. Otherwise, I do not see why he would watch Mr. Collins to remarry as soon as only permitted after the death of his first wife."

"Do you think Kitty is completely recovered?" Elizabeth asked excitedly.

"Oh, if you mean her feelings for the Colonel, then I think he is almost forgotten. I assure you; a new suitor has been on the horizon for quite some time. I would venture to suggest that he is more suitable for her than the last one. I am not aware of why Mr. Lucas is attracted to this stupid girl, but he has definitely a positive influence on her. Kitty has finally switched to more serious literature."

"I am confused," Elizabeth replied. "Kitty never said a word. Not even a hint."

Mr. Bennet continued to chuckle. As he always did when it came to family matters.

"It was a good lesson for her. I mean everything that happened during Christmas. One should not inflate all hopes and desires before they really have a reason. She is not careless now. And if she says anything, it will only be when Mr. Lucas will actually propose to her. I have certainly little doubt about it. For he comes to Longbourn as often as Bingley did when he thought of marrying your older sister."

"I cannot draw any conclusions from such a short acquaintance. However, I can see that Kitty is a bit relieved from her past experience. And I cannot help but assume that this was the result of a new infatuation. Perhaps, even deeper one this time."

"I am not interfering!" her father laughed. "I am not interfering at all! And I try to keep your mother out of it, too. My neighbors probably think that I dream and see how I can sell my daughters even better. And that I lay my hands on the heirs of the good estates in England."

Elizabeth could not help thinking that it would be a great comfort to her mother if at least one of her daughters remained with her in Hertfordshire. If Kitty went to live at Lucas Lodge, and in time became its mistress, then Mrs. Bennet would be all the more comfortable. However, no one wished to rash anything after Christmas. And make plans in advance.

On the day of the wedding, Elizabeth, Jane and Kitty decided to share the same carriage. And Elizabeth had an opportunity to tell her younger sister about Miss Darcy.

"Is Georgiana going to be the Viscountess?" Kitty exclaimed, clearly astonished and genuinely pleased for her friend.

"Who knows?" Jane smiled enigmatically.

Guests were beginning to gather at the church. And Elizabeth had just alighted from the carriage, when she suddenly and quite unexpectedly encountered Caroline Bingley.

"Mrs. Darcy!" she cried in a bit of surprise. "What a pleasant meeting!"

It turned out that Lady Catherine's indignation was still not enough to excommunicate her prodigal nephew. And she even relented to recommend him to bring his new fiancée to Rosings.

Miss Bingley was most gracious now. Her own happiness allowed her to be more attentive to other people for once. And although Elizabeth knew that her mood would quickly pass, she could not help but admit that the present Caroline was much more tolerant than the old one. Miss Bingley seemed to glow with the pride of her betrothal, with the satisfaction of not being an old maid anymore and with the recognition by a true gentleman to choose her as his preferable life companion.

Elizabeth listened to her with half an ear, her eyes searching feverishly for Kitty. She realized that the Colonel was somewhere here too. And she was afraid of the meeting. However, her eyes only came across her mother, who was already weeping and who was prepared to sob aloud, as she was inclined to do at all her daughters’ weddings.

Suddenly Elizabeth saw Fitzwilliam as he was leaving the church. To her utter horror, Kitty was standing nearby. And they collided, and it was already inevitable. From where she stood, Elizabeth could see them both clearly now.

Fitzwilliam did not seem to have expected this meeting. He was not prepared for it at all. Suddenly he blushed and he was so embarrassed that Elizabeth had never seen him like this before. 

She noticed that Kitty was holding up much better. Her sister's reaction was beyond any praise. In spite of the suddenness of the encounter, Kitty did not lose her present state of mind and remained outwardly as calm as ever. She seemed to have recovered before the Colonel, successfully overcoming her feelings, and she curtsied quite elegantly. Fitzwilliam finally overcame his confusion and bowed hastily to her. He knew that he was so stunned that he might even seem as impolite.

He said something to her. Elizabeth could not hear from the distance. Apparently, a couple of courteous phrases. Nothing more. Kitty answered him politely. And taking advantage of the awkward pause, which was so natural to happen between them, she immediately left his side and thus interrupted any opportunity for further conversation.

Everything about Kitty Bennet now breathed of absolute confidence. Her straight posture, her calm mood and even more that firm determined look in her eyes. 

Colonel Fitzwilliam was still standing where she had left him. He had not noticed the other guests yet. He carefully and thoughtfully watched her go…

We will leave the Colonel and Kitty here. On the steps of the church. Amongst the family and friends. Being strangers to each other now. Thinking and guessing what it would be like if that was their own wedding.

For the reader, who is not satisfied with the reality of the ending, one should remind of Lydia Wickham, who once wished for all ladies at Pemberley to be finally married. It should be added, that by next Christmas her wish was partially accomplished, as all of them had found a reason for happiness.


End file.
